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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

NEXT STOP, COOPERSTOWN?
The Card: Joey Votto 2006 Grandstand Southern League Top Prospects
The Buzz On This One: Votto's Rookie Card comes way back in 2002 Bowman Draft -- years before the RC logo cards and him having those, too -- but since he didn't rocket to The Show immediately he does have a few MiLB cards fans can track down that have him in familiar colors and unis but not those he has worn for his Hall of Fame-caliber MLB career. (Note: Why a lame photo? I had this in a semi-rigid for picture time since I contemplated grading it -- just for fun -- but a different one made the cut.) Why go here? These team set cards -- this is from a more-plentiful prospect All-Star set -- are overlooked and cheaper than a lot of stuff. There's also a lot less was likely made, too, vs. stuff in packs. Obscure, cheaper and more unique all make my cardboard collecting radar go off a little more 15-plus years later.

Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.

Continue reading →

Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

A HALL OF FAMER'S OLD SOX
The Card: Mike Piazza 1999 Arizona Fall League #29
The Buzz On This One: No, the Hall of Famer wasn't crafting his game on the side while playing for the Mets. This one is a flashback piece included in a 30-card set for the AFL where prospects get to work on their game in the off-season. I think I found this one -- the full set -- in a bulk lot that, for the most part, wasn't all that eventful ... so this one stood out. Who else was in this one? A who's who of "Who?" Maybe, maybe not ... Ryan Anderson, Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, Michael Cuddyer, Jack Cust, Jason Grilli, Jim Morris (The Rookie!), Corey Patterson, Vernon Wells and others ... actually, quite a few big-leaguers but not a lot of card-value guys all these years later. I bet there are some Piazza fans who might not have even seen this card before -- at least I hadn't -- so that's why it bats lead-off this time.

Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can (almost) only find in MiLB.

Continue reading →